Philadelphia selected Ben Simmons with the No 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, making the Australian forward the first 76ers top pick since Allen Iverson 20 years ago.
“It feels amazing, honestly,” Simmons said. “I can’t even — my legs were shaking when I was on stage.
“Anything you want to do, you can do. I’ve been wanting to do that since I was five, six, seven and I’ve finally accomplished that.”
Simmons, 19, a playmaker from Melbourne, is also the third Australian-born player taken first overall, joining Kyrie Irving (2011) and Andrew Bogut (2005).
The Los Angeles Lakers chose small forward Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick and the Boston Celtics made forward Jaylen Brown the third pick at the Barclays Center arena.
Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists playing US college basketball last season at Louisiana State.
“I am happy the Sixers chose me. I have been working so hard to get to this point,” he said.
“It honestly feels like all this pressure just has hopped off me. Now I can relax, but now I know where I’m going to be.”
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He has been on NBA scouts’ radars since moving to the United States in 2013 to attend Florida’s Montverde Academy.
Simmons conducted his only workout for the 76ers on Tuesday. He has skill at passing and ball handling as well as the size and strength to succeed as a big man scoring and grabbing rebounds.
He goes to a team that seems to be constantly rebuilding, compiling a dismal 47-199 win-loss record since 2013.
The 76ers are coached by Brett Brown, an American who guided the Australia Olympic squad to the 2012 London Olympic quarter-finals and took Australian league coach of the year honours in 1994 as he guided the North Melbourne Giants to a title.
Simmons, who has the same agent as the new three-time NBA champion LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been working out in the Ohio city ahead of the draft.
He will turn 20 on July 20 shortly after he concludes his first pro games in the NBA Summer League.
The Lakers selected Duke University forward Ingram with the second pick. He averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in his lone season with Duke.
It was the Lakers’ first pick in the post-Kobe Bryant era.
“You kind of feel pressure, but it’s a good pressure, of course,” Ingram said. “It gives you motivation and the potential to be someone like Kobe Bryant and some of the greats in the league.”
The Celtics had obtained the pick from Brooklyn in the 2013 Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade. Brown averaged 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in his only season with California.
With the fourth pick, the Suns selected Bosnian forward Dragan Bender.
Minnesota had the fifth pick and used it on Providence guard Kris Dunn. He was a two-time Big East player of the year and defensive player of the year.
A couple of big trades on Thursday involved NBA veterans.
Forward Serge Ibaka and guard Victor Oladipo were the biggest names moved during the draft.
The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Oladipo, forward Ersan Ilyasova and the rights to the No. 11 overall pick, forward Domantas Sabonis.
Marquese Chriss was the highest draft pick who found himself on the move Thursday. After being drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the No 8 overall pick, he was dealt to the Phoenix Suns for the No 13 pick and guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
